


Ginger Man

by truth_renowned



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: F/M, Not Quite Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Sweet and Spicy Fluff, Tumblr Prompt, but close
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 07:29:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10271459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truth_renowned/pseuds/truth_renowned
Summary: Peggy's birthday sneaks up on Daniel and he is in search of a birthday treat for her.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to watcherofworlds for the fun prompt: "Daniel attempts to make gingerbread for Peggy because he finds out that it's her favorite."

Daniel snapped awake, his hand slapping at the alarm to make the shrill ringing stop. He rolled on his side, opened his eyes and frowned. It took a second to realize Peggy wasn’t there. She hadn’t been there in more than a week, working in New York as a favor to Jack. With a sigh, he got out of bed, grabbing his crutches and making his way to the kitchen. Coffee was in order. Hell, coffee was a necessity these days.

Crutching his way to the front door, he opened it to retrieve the newspaper. Once back in the kitchen, he sat at the table, impatiently waiting for the coffee to brew. He opened the paper, glancing at the date. Then he froze, dread coiling in his stomach. 

It was April 9. 

Peggy’s birthday.

 _Shit_ , he thought.

Why he thought he had a few more days, he wasn’t sure. He had her gift all ready to go, a pair of diamond earrings, studs in an intricate lace-like setting. He’d bought them weeks ago. Then work got away from him, the caseload doubling in a short amount of time. Add to it him losing an agent to the FBI and Peggy being out of town, and he was working 18-hour days.

And now here it was, April 9, and he had nothing planned. His mind toyed with the idea of taking her out to dinner but where could he get reservations for that night at a place nice enough for a birthday celebration? Not to mention that she'd be exhausted when she got in and most likely would eat on the plane anyway. He could just give her his gift, but he wanted a little something to go with it.

As he poured himself a cup of coffee, he briefly thought about her saying how much she loved gingerbread. She'd said it over the holidays when Agent Greene’s wife had brought gingerbread men cookies to the SSR office party, though Peggy was none too impressed with the offering. Her face had a touch of wistfulness when she spoke about making cookies -- or ‘biscuits’ as she'd called them -- as a child with her mother. 

Daniel didn't know the first thing about baking cookies or biscuits or anything like that, so he set about checking bakeries in the area. Eight phone calls and half an hour later, he found out that no one had gingerbread this time of year.

He'd have to think of something else. A cake? No, Peggy never seemed like a birthday cake kind of gal. Maybe a danish? Or a pie? He knew she liked pie. A nice key lime pie might do the trick, though gingerbread would have been better. Right now, though, he had to finish getting ready for work.

Showered, shaved and dressed, he grabbed his briefcase and was stopped by the telephone ringing. He hesitated; he was late as it was but decided to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Oh, hello, Daniel! How are you this fine day?”

He smiled at the familiar singsong voice of Ana Jarvis.

“Doing well, Ana. And you?”

“Wonderful! I was hoping to catch Peggy there. I have her dresses ready.”

“She's still out of town but should be in late tonight.”

“Would you be so kind to ask her to call me at her earliest convenience?”

“Of course.” He almost said ‘goodbye’ but stopped himself, an idea forming in his head. “Ana, before you go… do you happen to have a gingerbread recipe?”

“Oh… well, I do not but Mr. Jarvis does, one passed down from his mother. The cookies are delicious. He makes so many batches of them during the holidays, I call him my ginger man.” She paused with a sprinkling of laughter. “Get it? Gingerbread man? Ginger man?”

“I get it,” he replied with a chuckle. “Do you think he would share the recipe?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

After a few seconds of silence, Daniel heard, “Good morning, Chief Sousa.”

“Good morning, Jarvis,” he replied. “I… well, I wanted to have a little something for Peggy tonight. It’s her birthday.”

“Yes, Mrs. Jarvis and I were just speaking about that.”

“Ana said that you have a gingerbread recipe…”

“It is for ginger biscuits,” Jarvis said. “Would you like me to make some for you?”

He thought about taking him up on the offer, as he did have to work, but… 

“Actually, I’d like to make them myself, if they’re not too difficult.”

“Well… It does take a certain finesse but I do believe you could handle it. Do you have a pen and paper?”

\------

“Here we are,” Rose said.

Peggy jolted awake. She looked out the passenger window and saw Daniel’s house. She must have dozed off right after they left the airport.

“Thank you, Rose.”

“Sure, anytime, Peg. See you tomorrow?”

Peggy nodded. “Good night.”

Rose had popped the boot, and Peggy withdrew her bags. She was grateful for the ride home, though she was expecting Daniel to meet her at the airport. Rose said he had something to do but Peggy was just happy not to have to drive herself. She was bone-tired from cleaning up so many messes in Jack’s office that she’d lost count. In his defense, he was out for months after his attempted murder and despite it being almost a year, he still was dealing with the problems and corruption that Vernon Masters caused.

She trudged up the steps, fumbling in her carry-on bag. She found her key, which she promptly slipped into the lock. 

As soon as she stepped inside, the most delectable scents wafted around her. Cinnamon, nutmeg and the unmistakable aroma of ginger. She closed her eyes and saw her mum, swatting her and Michael’s small hands away from the treats that had just come out from the oven.

She set down her suitcases and walked to the kitchen. On the small dining table, he had a pot of tea and a cup set out, along with a plate piled high with biscuits. Ginger biscuits, if her nose was right and she knew it was.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she abruptly turned around to find Daniel looking positively scrumptious in one of his more subdued Hawaiian-print shirts and casual tan trousers. 

“Happy birthday, Peg,” he said, a satisfied smile on his lips.

Her eyes narrowed in confusion for a few seconds until she realized it really was her birthday. _How does one forget their birthday_ , she thought. _By working too hard_ , her mind supplied.

“And welcome home,” he said as he leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips. She had other ideas, though, pulling him closer and giving him a proper ‘hello I’ve missed you’ kiss.

“That’s the kind of welcome I like,” she said, pulling away.

He smiled and stepped around her into the kitchen. “I know you're not much into pomp and circumstance for birthdays, but I did want to have a little treat for you.”

“You got me ginger biscuits?”

“I _made_ you ginger biscuits.” He paused to pour the tea. “It’s Jarvis’s recipe. He gave me very explicit instructions, thank goodness. They turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.”

 _He made me ginger biscuits_ , she thought. She'd told him about them around the holidays, and he'd remembered. And baked them for her. Her heart swelled.

He handed her the cup of tea and she took a sip. He knew how to make her tea as well. How did she get so lucky to find a man who could make her a proper cuppa and biscuits?

“Dig in,” he said, a look of anticipation on his face.

After putting the cup down, she grabbed a biscuit and inhaled, the sharpness of the mixed spices and ginger tickling her nose. She took a bite and hummed. They were still warm, the best way to have them. The spices and sweetness were in perfect harmony, making her hum again.

“Good?” he asked.

She nodded and took another bite.

“I admit that I had to call Jarvis about where to find Lyle’s golden syrup. He insisted it had to be Lyle’s and it wasn't at the corner store.”

“Mr. Jarvis’s recipe is a guarded family secret,” she said around bits of biscuit. “You should consider yourself lucky he shared it with you.” She popped the rest of the biscuit in her mouth and reached for a second.

“Ana said these were so popular, she calls Jarvis her ginger man.”

“I have heard her call him that.” She took a bite of the second one. “You’ve done him proud. These are heavenly.”

After finishing off the biscuit, she stepped toward Daniel and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands went to waist as her lips covered his. He must have sampled his wares, as he tasted of ginger and cinnamon, with a hint of coffee. 

“Thank you,” she said after reluctantly breaking the kiss. “This is the best birthday I can remember.”

He smiled. “Do you want to open your gift?”

“Later,” she replied with a mischievous smile of her own. “I want to partake of my other gift.” 

Her fingers went to the top button of his shirt, slipping the plastic through the hole, with the second and third buttons following quickly behind. She leaned forward and planted an open-mouth kiss to the hollow below his Adam’s apple.

He moaned his approval. “You think I'm a gift?”

She pulled back and met his gaze. “Every day of my life.”

“Peg,” he said softly as his hand cupped her cheek. 

She finished with his buttons as their lips met in a slow, deep kiss. She pushed the fabric away from his chest and her arms went around him, fingernails digging into his back. He leaned into her, his hand moving from her cheek to her hair. The kiss quickly got out of control, and she felt the familiar heat starting in her stomach and moving down at an alarming rate.

She broke the kiss, then took his hand in hers and tugged lightly for him to follow her down the hall. 

“Aren't you exhausted?” he asked.

“I was tired but I've had a sudden burst of energy.”

“The effects of ginger biscuits?”

She shook her head, a sly smile on her lips as she led him to the bedroom. “The effects of my ginger man.”

**Author's Note:**

> The ginger biscuit recipe that served as inspiration: <https://the1940sexperiment.com/2012/12/08/gingernuts-no-101/>
> 
> The earrings Daniel bought for her birthday gift: <http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/0d/7c/79/0d7c79815239f61211d85584f410547f.jpg>


End file.
